CITY MAYORS ARE IMPLORING
LEADERS TO ALLOCATE MORE FUNDING
FOR MUNICIPALITIES KNOWN AS
SHARED REVENUE.
RAI
RAISIN -- THE RACINE MAYOR SAID
NOW THE TIME TO FUND POLICE AND
ESSENTIAL SERVICES.
THE MAYOR JOINS US NOW.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> MY PLEASURE, THANKS FOR
HAVING ME.
>> WE EXPECT WHEN HE ROLLS OUT
HIS TWO-YEAR BUDGET
GOVERNOR TONY EVERS WILL
PROPOSE SENDING 20-PERCENT OF
THE STATE'S SALES TAX BACK TO
LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN
SHARED REVENUE. WHEN YOU HEARD
HIM ANNOUNCE THAT -- WHAT WAS
YOUR REACTION?
HAVE YOU DONE THE MATH? WHAT
WOULD THAT MEAN FOR RACINE?
THE GOVERNOR'S SHOWN REAL
LEADERSHIP.
WE HAD FUNDS TO LOCAL SERVICES
FROZEN MORE THAN A DECADE.
FOR THE CITY OF RACINE WE GET
LESS THAN A DECADE AGO AND THAT
MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN
SERVICES WHEN COSTS CONTINUE TO
RISE.
THE GOVERNOR COMMITTING THAT
KIND OF A FUNDING SOURCE IN
TERMS OF INCREASE AND ALSO ITS
SUSTAINABLE GROWTH IN THE FUTURE
OBVIOUSLY MYSELF AND MAYORS ARE
EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT THAT.
>> HAVE YOU DONE THE MATH ON
THAT AND WHAT THE NUMBERS MIGHT
MEAN OR COULD MEAN?
>> THAT'S WHERE THE DETAILS WILL
COME OUT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY
THERE'S DIFFERENT LEVELS OF
GOVERNMENT HAVE DIFFERENT IDEAS
HOW THE INCREASE WOULD BE BUT AN
ADDITIONAL HALF BILLION BACK TO
LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
HOW THAT'S DISTRIBUTED THROUGH
CITIES, VILLAGES AND TOWNS AND
COUNTRIES IS A DIFFERENT
CONVERSATION.
A GENERATION AGO HALF WENT TO
THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND KNEW WE
GET 5% WITH NEED INVESTMENT.
>> Frederica: WHAT THAT HAS
MEANT IN TERMS OF LOCAL
SERVICES?
>> THERE'S REAL STRESS ON LOCAL
SERVIC
SERVICES AND HEALTH CARE COSTS
GROUP 10%, 15% A YEAR IF
REVENUES REMAIN FLAT IT'S A
MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THERE'S
REAL TENSION BETWEEN GIVING
WORKERS THE RAISES THEY DESERVE
TO MAINTAIN THEM AND MAINTAIN
SERVICES IF YOU HAVE BUDGETS
FROM 10, 12, 15 YEARS AGO.
>> THERE'S THE LEVY LIMITS AND
THE ONLY WAY UNDER THE
LEGISLATIVELY IMPOSED LIMITS IS
TO GO TO A REFERENDUM FOR TAX
DOLLARS.
RACINE PROPOSED THIS BUT ARE YOU
READY TO SUPPORT THAT.
>> WE'RE IN NEGOTIATIONS BUT THE
RAISES ON THE TABLE EXCEED OUR
ABILITY TO MAINTAIN THOSE FUNDS
IN THE FUTURE.
WE HAVE TO PUT REAL OFFERS ON
THE TABLE THOUGH BECAUSE WE NEED
TO MAINTAIN A POLICE FORCE AND
EMS AND FIRE FIGHTING FORCE.
IT'S AT A CRISIS POINT FOR
COMMUNITIES LIKE RACINE.
WE KNOW THERE WERE DOZENS OF
PUBLIC REFERENDUMS.
80% PASSED UNFORTUNATELY OURS
WAS ONE THAT DIDN'T.
THOSE ARE TWO OPTIONS GOING TO
REFERENDUM OR GETTING THE STATE
TO REINVEST IN ITS COMMITMENT TO
FUNDING LOCAL SERVICES.
EVERYBODY AGREED FUNDING A
POLICE WAS A PRIORITY.
EVERYBODY AGREED ABOUT THAT.
THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE
LEGISLATURE AND GOVERNOR TO MAKE
GOOD ON THE COMMITMENT THE
GOVERNOR LAID OUT BEFORE US.
>> Frederica: HAVING SERVED IN
THE LEGISLATURE YOURSELF WHAT IS
YOUR EXPECTATION HOW THE
REPUBLICAN MAJORITY TO REACT.
>> IT DEPENDS ON WHEN THEY PASS
IT IN THE BIANNUAL BUDGET AND I
DO KNOW IN CONVERSATIONS THE
LEGISLATURE IS HAVING
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE MODEL
ABOUT THE 20% SALES TAX GOING.
SO IF THE GOVERNOR AND
LEGISLATURE AGREE ROUGHLY ON THE
FRAMEWORK AND WHAT THEY NEED TO
DO IS NEGOTIATE WHAT THE DETAILS
ARE I FEEL MORE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT
SHARING REVENUE THIS YEAR THAN I
HAVE IN A LONG TIME.
>> Frederica: WHAT IS YOUR
MESSAGE NOW TO BUDGET WRITERS AT
THE STATE CAPITAL?
>> IF YOU WANT SAFE AND HEALTHY
COMMUNITIES YOU HAVE TO INVEST
IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PUBLIC
SAFETY.
THEY KNOW THAT.
THE CITY OF RACINE AND
COMMUNITIES ALL OVER THE STATE
NEED THE RESOURCES AND NEED THE
STATE TO MAKE GOOD ON ITS
COMMITMENT TO FULFILL IT'S
RESPONSIBILITY TO FUND LOCAL
SERVICES.
AT THE END OF THE DAY EVERYBODY
AGREES TO THAT AND I'M HOPING
WITH THE NEW FRAMEWORK LAID OUT
BY THE GOVERNOR UNDER HIS
LEADERSHIP THE LEGISLATURE WILL
FIND A MODEL WE CAN AGREE ON BUT
THEY CAN'T KICK THE CAN DOWN THE
ROAD FURTHER.
IT'S GETTING TO PROVIDING BASIC
SERVICES IS BECOMING HARDER AND
HARDER FOR COMMUNITIES LIKE MINE
AND MANY OTHERS ALL OVER THE
STATE.